Melbourne Fringe Festival, Fitzroy 2010

The Urban Pollinators was a collaborative project curated by Dan Nunan and Flynn Hart as part of Studio Republic; an RMIT University Design Studio.  Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning Students were guided through a rigorous design process to create, test and engage with a series of site-based installations that explored the effects of future urban intensification whilst taking you on a ‘choose your own adventure’ through the back streets of Fitzroy.

The process explored future urban conditions and the role of public open space, both existing and imagined. Students were asked to analyse a number of small scale public realm opportunities within Fitzroy. They explored concepts of psycho-geography in urban spaces through the development of a series of site specific interventions.

Fitzroy is one of Melbourne’s oldest, smallest and most densely populated suburbs. What will it look like in 30 years time? What are some of the challenges that Fitzroy has to face in the coming years?

Given the march of the suburbs ever outwards, urban intensification is a way to reduce the pressure on our fragile environment. By building up, not out, we can contain our ecological footprint.

The Urban Pollinators event aimed to bring awareness to the issues that urban intensification raises for public open space. How do we create meaningful public spaces within highly urbanised cities? Do we need to look to new typologies of public space? What do the parks of the future look like?

Ramesh Ayyar from RMIT tagged along to catch some pollinating in progress, here’s what he observed:  https://vimeo.com/46341980 (Thanks Ramesh!)

Alexander Maxwell-Anderson Read Between the Lines, Dayna Williams Connecting People Connecting Spaces, Mathew Whitehead Living Spaces, Flynn Barbary Birds of a Feather, Flipping the Bird, Alison Fenton Palimpsystem, Tom Beresford Land of the Lanemites, Nathaniel Douglas Termite Town, Neha Juddoo The Garbage Monster, James Mitchell Series of Change, Stephen Mintern Over the Fence, Paulina Lopez Wind Experience, Ross Mckinlay Ani-Matron, Morayo Adeyemi Urbanity in Retrospect, Jacob Peterson The Urban Gutter.James Mitchell: Series of ChangeTom Beresford: Land of the Lanemites (also cover image)

Project Video:http://vimeo.com/46341980

Project Blog: http://www.projectpollen.typepad.com/